Beyond is about opening doors & showing people games aren't just about shooting, says Cage
Beyond: Two Souls director and writer David Cage has explained his aspirations for the PS3 title, and hopes that it will encourage people to see the medium a little bit differently.
Speaking with me at Eurogamer Expo last week - in an interview you can read here in full tomorrow - I asked Cage for his thoughts on appealing to a wide range of players through diverse writing. He replied, "It's a very interesting situation right now. I think with the games we make, we're in a more interesting position. We get these preconceptions certainly from hardcore gamers who say, 'Oh it's not a videogame. It's interactive cinema and we're not interested in games where you don't shoot.' So they're not interested in our games.
"But at the other end of the spectrum we see people who are like, 'We see what you're doing, delivering emotion, but videogames are still all about violence and shooting.' So what I think we're doing is trying to say to both ends, 'Wait a second. Look at what we're doing and then make your judgement.' But we like to say to hardcore gamers, 'Yes there are some great games out there whether it's GTA, Call of Duty and all of those things, but look, this is something a little bit different.' It's not about shooting. It's different but give it a try. For the sake of society have a look, because all games are not about violence. They are about very different things.
"There are very interesting indie games right now exploring very different reactions that are clearly not about violence, that are trying to make this medium really strong. There is definitely something happening in the industry just now and we should look at this. It's interesting because with the presence of Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe in the game, we managed to open some of these doors, where people who would never talk about video games before are now getting interested. With Beyond it's about opening that door and to show people that all games are not the same, they are not all about shooting."
Beyond: Two Souls hits PS3 on October 8.